Venetian blind installation and bracket therefor



VENETIAN BLIND INSTALLATION AND BRACKET THEREFOR Filed Feb. 1, 1963 1965H. K. LORENTZEN ETAL 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR HANS K LORENTZf/V GEORGEAlf/RA JOSEPH A. ANDf/ZLE BY MTzbRNl-IY Feb 1965 H. K. LORENTZEN ETAL NVENETIAN BLIND INSTALLATION AND BRACKET THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet? FiledFeb. 1, 1963 5 m M R2 mNm 5 N A E0 W K H O P SEE N S A H J remote fromthe ends of the head channel.

ted States Pate This invention relates to Venetian blinds and moreparticularly to a Venetian blind installation and to a bracket therefor.The side of the blind which faces the room will be considered as thefront of the blind and the opposite side will be considered as the rearof the blind.

A metal Venetian blind is customarily provided with a channel-shapedhead bar, also called a head channel. The blind depends from the headchannel, and by installing the head channel adjacent to the top of awindow opening the entire blind is installed.

Various forms of brackets are known for attachment to the building toreceive and support the head channel, such brackets being commonlyreferred to as installation brackets. customarily there are twoinstallation brackets, one at each end of the head channel. Grdinarilyeach installation bracket has a horizontal shelf which is adapted toreceive the end of the head channel by horizontal movement of the headchannel from front to rear. Such brackets are disclosed in US. Patents2,526,393, 2,670,- 167, 2,680,589 and 2,792,999.

In the case of a blind having a long head channel it is necessary toprovide support at one or more points Brackets for this purpose areknown and are often referred to as intermediary brackets.

In some Venetian blind installations the head channel is installed byupward movement, and installation brackets which receive the headchannel by movement thereof from front .to rear are unsuitable. This istrue in installations in which the head channel is nested within adownwardly-opening pocket or recess that is at the top of the windowopening. It is also true in certain installations in which the ends ofthe head channel, and the ends of the slats, are received in verticallight-excluding channels. These vertical channels may be installedfirst. Then the head channel of the blind may be inclined so that theends thereof can be entered in the vertical channels, after which thehead channel may be moved upwardly to mounted position at the top of thewindow opening. The head channels have substantial flexibility and maybe flexed somewhat to circumvent certain obstructions that may beencountered in entering the ends of the head channel into verticallight-excluding channels and/or moving the head channel upwardly toinstalled position.

An installation bracket which permits the head bar of a blind to beinstalled upwardly, and which can be used-as an intermediary bracket, isshown in US. Patent 2,674,432 issued April 6, 1954. While that brackethas been extensively used it has a number of limitations. It consists ofa building-attached part and a separate stirrup member which embracesthe head channel. The buildingattached part cannot be secured to thefront face of a window frame. In installing or removing the headchannel, the stirrup member has to be manipulated lengthwise of the headchannel while the head channel is somehow held in position. Where thatbracket is at the end of the head channel the manipulation of thestirrup member lengthwise of the head channel requires specialmanipulation of the operating cords of the blind in order to avoidinterference between the cords and the stirrup member. The stirrupmember also interferes aieaeas with the installation of a light blockthat, in some installations, is attached to the bottom of the headchannel where a high degree of room darkening is desired. Such a lightblock extends for the length of the head channel, and serves to blockthe entry of light through the crack between the upper edge of the topslat of the blind and the bottom of the head channel. In mostinstallations in which the head bar is exposed the stirrup is so exposedto view that to prevent color clash it is necessary to have stirrupsfinished in the various colors and finishes of the blinds with which theinstallation bracket of Patent 2,674,432 is to be used.

Among the objects of the present invention are to provide a Venetianblind installation and a bracket therefor which overcomes some or all ofthe foregoing limitations. In the Venetian blind installation hereindisclosed the bottom of the head channel is unencumbered and isavailable to receive a light block extending for the length of the headchannel. The bracket h rein disclosed is attachable to either the frontface of a window frame (or wall) or to a sofrit. It has no part thatseparates from the building-attached part of bracket. it may be used toprovide support at either end of the head channel or at any point alongits length. The head channel may be facilely mounted, the bracket itselfproviding temporary support for the head c annel while the head channelis being secured in mounting or being released in dismounting. There isno interference between the bracket and the operating cords of theblind. in the completed installation so little of the bracket is exposedthat it is unnecessary to stock brackets in the many colors and finishesused for Venetian blinds.

Among other objects of the invention are to provide an installationbracket which not only accomplishes some or all of the foregoingobjectives when the bracket is in use but which may be inexpensivelyproduced from sheetmetal stampings, which is adapted for rapidmanufacture on a quantity-production basis, and which provides strongand reliable support for the head bar despite weak or loose connectionbetween the two main parts of which the bracket is composed.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the drawings and fromthe description hereinafter.

in both he description and the claims parts at times may be identifiedby specific names for clarity and convenience but such nomenclature isto be understood as having the broadest meaning consistent with thecontext and with the concept of our invention as distinguished from thepertinent prior art. The best mode in which we have contemplatedcarrying out our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification. Except as otherwise indicated thedescription refers to the specific form of the invention shown in thedrawings; it does not necessarily refer to any other form in which theinvention may be embodied. The claims, however, do embrace other formsin which invention may be embodied.

FIGURE 1 is a partly diagrammatic front elevationof the top portion of aVenetian blind installation em bodying the present invention, the centerportion of the installation being broken out.

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation showing one of the building-attachedbrackets and the associated portion of the head channel, the pivol edchannel-securing means of the bnacket being in operated position, i.e.,locked position.

F FlUGRUERE 5 is.a vertical section on the line 55 of 3 is a verticalsectionon the line El-3 of FIGURE 6 is same as FIGURE 4 except that thepivoted channel-securing means is shown in nonoperated position, i.e.,in unlocked position.

FIGURE 7 shows the building-attached bracket in side elevation. Thechannel is shown in dot-dash lines, in the position it occupies justbefore being snapped into the bracket.

FIGURE 8 is an isometric view of the bracket, the pivotedchannel-securing means being in operated position.

FIGURE 9 is isometric exploded view of the bracket shown in FIGURE 8.

In FIGURE 1 a conventional Venetian blind is designated as a whole bylid. This blind includes, among other things, a shcet-steel head bar orhead channel 15, and a series of metal slats 16 that are supported bytwo or more ladders I7. Mechanism (not shown) that is operable to raiseand lower the slats, and to tilt the same forwardly and rearwardly, isincorporated in the head channel 15. Ordinarily a tilt cord as dependsfrom the left end of the head channel 15 and a lift cord such as I9depends from the right end of the head channel 15. The head channel issupported by two or more buildingattached installation brackets 26which, in FIGURE 1, are spaced from the ends of the head channel and aresecured to a sofiit Zl.

The unitary installation bracket 29 per se is perhaps best seen inFIGURE 8. The two main parts and the rivet of which this bracket iscomposed are perhaps best seen in FIGURE 9. One of the main parts is anL-shapcd sheet-metal stamping 21. The other is a head-channelsecuringmember 232. A rivet 23 pivotally secures the member 22 to the member El.The members 21 and 22 have been stamped from sheet steel .662 inchthick.

The member 21, which is stamped in one piece, has a vertical leg 36 anda horizontal leg El. Extending for most of the length of the verticalleg 3t} is a rib 32. This rib is pressed forwardly, leaving a groove(not shown) facing toward the rear of leg 36. The rib 32, whichincreases the rigidity of the vertical leg, continues into thehorizontal leg 31 and strengthens the juncture of the legs Bill and 31.Upper and lower buttons or proituberances 33 and are pressed forwardlyfrom the rib 32, leaving depressions (not shown) facing toward the rearof leg Circular holes 36 and 37 and elongated holes 33 and 39 areadapted to receive screws for attaching the installation bracket to awall, or to the front of a window frame or mullion. A short horizontallip to projects forwardly from tie bottom of the vertical leg 39.

The horizontal leg 31 is provided with skirts 42 and 4-3, which dependfrom the two side edges of the leg and extend for substantially thelength of the leg 31. These skirts impart additional strength andrigidity to the leg 31. The skirts 4-2 and 43 are longitudinally slottedat 42a and 43a, respectively, the slots extending sidewise into thehorizontal metal of the leg Ell as is shown in FIG- URE 6. At its centerthe leg 31 has a boss 45 pressed downwardly (FIGURE 9) leaving adepression 4512 (FIG- URE 6) facing toward the top of the leg 31. At thecenter of the boss 4 there is a rivet hole i6 which is surrounded by anannular bearing-surface .7. From the front end of the leg El a short lipextends downwardly, the bottom portion of the lip being flared forwardlyat 4% as is seen in FIGURE 7. Circular holes 31:: (four shown, FIGURE 6)are adapted to receive screws for attaching the installation bracket toa sofllt, as in FIGURE 1.

The channel-securing member 22 is stamped in one iece and has agenerally fiat body portion fill with a central hole 54, an L-shapedoperating lever 51 that terminates in a thumbpiece 552, and front andrear depending portions 53 and 55 which terminate in horizontal fingers53a and 55a, respectively. The body portion 5% has ribs and which arepressed downwardly, lcav- 4 ing grooves 56a and 57a, respectively(FIGURE 5), facing upwardly. The ribs 56 and 57 extend from the front tothe rear of the body portion 56 and impart additional rigidity thereto.From the side edges of the body portion 50 flanges 58 and 59 extendupwardly. Horizontal fingers 53a and 59a extend from the upper edges ofthe flanges 58 and 59, respectively. In one corner the body portion 50has a small button or protuberance 6% (FIG- URE 6) which is pressedupwardly.

In assembling the bracket the channel-securing member 22 is broughtagainst the boss 45 with the parts 21 and 22 in the relative rotativeposition that is shown in FIGURE 6, and with the rivet holes 46 and 54in registration. The rivet 23 is inserted through the holes 4-6 and 54and then set. The particular rivet shown is a hollow-ended rivet, knownas a semitubular rivet, which may be set by rolling over the cylindricalwall of the rivet similarly to the setting of an eyelet.

In the drawings the bracket is shown attached to a soflit 21 by fourscrews 31b inserted through the four holes 31a in the horizontal leg 31of the bracket (see FIGURE 6, for example). In so attaching the bracketto a sorlit one of the screws 31b may be inserted, after which thebracket can be rotatively adjusted about the screw it necessary to causethe bracket to face directly forward. Screws can then be insertedthrough one or more of the additional holes Illa in the horizontal legof the bracket. In many instances it will suilice to use only'two screws31b, inserting them through holes Sla which are diagonally opposite eachother in FIGURE 6.

In the alternative the bracket 2% may be attached to a wall, or to thefront face of a. window frame or mullion. In some instances there isdifliculty in locating the bracket at precisely the right height and,for this reason, the screw holes 38 and 39 in the vertical leg 36 of thebracket are elongated. First, one screw can be inserted halfway alongthe length of either hole 33 or After the bracket has been adjusted tothe correct height, and the leg been placed in vertical position, theone screw can be tightened. Then additional screws can be in-. serted.In many instances it will suffice to use only two screws, placed inholes 36 and 39 or in holes 37 and 33.

As is perhaps best seen in FIGURES 3 and 7, the channel 15 has a frontwall 65, a bottom 66 and a rear wall 6'2. The upper edge portions. ofthe front and rear walls are inturned forming hollow beads a and 67awhich extend along the upper edges of the front and rear wallrespectively.

With two or more installation brackets 26 attached to the building inalignment, and with the channel-securing member 22 (FIGURE 9) of eachbracket in the nonoperated position shown in FIGURE 6, the channel 15 isentered into each of the brackets N as indicated in FIG- URE 7. With thechannel 15 tilted slightly to the rear as shown in FIGURE 7 it is movedgenerally upwardly until the front bead 66a engages the bottom edges ofthe skirts t2 and 4 3 of the horizontal bracket-leg 31 which extendsacross the top of the channel. In this position the lower-rear corner ofthe channel 15 strikes the forward end of the short horizontal flange4d. The depending skirts 4-2 and 43, the depending lip 49 and thehorizontal lip 46 co-operate to block entry of the channel into mountedrelationship with the bracket 29 until the channel has been flexed. Thenecessary flexing of the channel is readily accomplished by upwardpressure on the bottom of the channel, as indicated by the arrow at thebottom of FIGURE 7. This squeezes the channel 15 diagonally-between thetip of lip 41) and the angular formation that is formed by lip 49 andthe lower edges of the depending skirts 42 and 43. The channel isresilient and snaps into mounted relationship with the bracket.

Upon completion of the snap-in and before operation of thechnanel-securing member 22, the bracket 26 temporarily supports thechannel in substantially the position that is shown in FIGURE 3-in whichfigure, however.

MAR

the channel-securing member 22 is shown in operated position. Thedepending skirts 42 and 43 limit upward movement of the channel 15,while the protuberances 33 and 35 limit rearward movement of the headchannel. When the channel-securing member 22 is in nonoperated positionthe short lip 46 limits downward movement of the head channel while thedepending lip 49 prevents fortuitous forward movement of the headchannel off of the lip 40. Thus the bracket provides temporary supportfor the channel 15 before the channel-securing member 22 has beenengaged in mounting the channel and after the channel-securing member 22has been disengaged when dismounting the channel. After disengagement ofthe channel-securing member 22 for dismounting the channel, the bottomof the channel may be pulled forward thereby flexing the channel anddisengaging it from the bracket 20.

After channel 15 has been snapped into mounted relationship with thebracket 20, the operating lever 51 of the channel-securing member 22 isswung from the nonoperated position shown in FIGURE 6 to the operatedposition shown in FIGURE 4. This swings the fingers 53a and 55a underthe beads 65a and d751, respectively. If desired, the parts may be soproportioned that when channel-securing member 22 is swung to theoperated position shown in FIGURES 2-5 and 8 the fingers 53a and 55atend to lift the channel 15 slightly from lip 44).

When the channel-securing member 22 moves from the nonoperated positionshown in FIGURE 6 to the operated position shown in FIGURES 2-5 and 8,the protuberance 6t) (FIGURE 6) snaps under the lower edge of skirt 42and prevents fortuitous reverse movement of the channel-securing member22.

The bracket 20 does not rely upon the rivet 23 to support the weight ofthe head channel and the weight of the blind which depends from the headchannel. As the channel-securing member 22 moves into operated positionthe fingers 58a and 5% thereof enter the slots 42a and 43a in the skirts42 and 43 and overlie the slot-associated skirt portions 421: and 43b,respectively (FIG- URES 4 and 5 for example). To pilot the fingers 58aand 59a over the skirt portions 42b and 4312, respectively, we mayupwardly incline the leading corners of one or both of the fingers 58aand 59a. In the operated position of the channel-securing member 22 theweight of the blind is transmitted from the beads 65a and 67a to thechannel-securing member 22 and thence to the horizontal bracket-leg 31by the fingers 58a and 59a which overlie the skirt portions 42b and 43b,respectively. In saying that the weight is transmitted to the skirtportions 42b and 43b it is only meant that the weight is at leastpotentially transmitted to the portions 42b and 43b since, when thebracket is new, the rivet 23 may carry the load so well as to hold thefingers 58a and 59a out of actual contact with the skirt portions 42band 43b. Nevertheless, the skirt portions 42b and 43b are available toreceive the load when and if the channel-securing member 22 sagsslightly.

The construction of the bracket 20 is such that there is ample room forthe heads of the screws that may be used to mount the bracket, whetherthe screws be inserted through the vertical leg which is in back of thehead channel 15 or whether they be inserted through the horizontal leg31 that overlies the head channel 15. Referring to FIGURE 3, it will beseen that the protuberances 33 and 35 establish a space between the backof the head channel 15 and the flat part of the vertical leg 30; andthis space is available for the head of screws which may be insertedthrough the holes 36-39 (FIGURE 9). The depending skirts 42 and 43(FIGURES 7 and 9) of the horizontal leg 31 establish a space between thetop of the head channel 15 and the flat part of the leg 31; and thisspace is available for the heads of screws 31b which may be insertedthrough any of the four holes 31a (FIG- URES 6 and 5).

We claim:

1. An installation bracket for a Venetian blind headchannel that hasinturned beads extending along the upper edges of the front and rearwalls of the channel, said bracket comprising: a member attachable to abuilding and adapted to extend across the top of the channel,channel-securing means pivotally attached to said memher, saidpivotally-attached channel-securing means having a finger that isadapted to swing under the head that is at the front of the channel andhaving another finger that is adapted to swing under the bead that is atthe rear of the channel, and said pivotally-attached channelsecuringmeans having additional fingers adapted to swing into engagement withmeans on said member to transmit to said member the load imposed on theinstallation bracket by the channel.

2. An installation bracket as in claim 1 in which said member hasdepending skirts and said additional fingers are adapted to selectivelyswing into and out of slots in the depending skirts.

3. An installation bracket as in claim 1 in which the bracket includesmeans to co-operate with the head channel for resiliently holding thehead channel in mounted position when the channel-securing means is innonoperated position.

4. The combination of a sheet-metal venetian-blind head-channel and abuilding-attached mounting-bracket, in which (a) the head channel isopen at the top and has a generally flat front wall, a generally fiatrear wall, and a generally flat bottom, (b) the upper edges of thechannel walls are provided with front and rear beads, respectively, (0)the mounting bracket includes a stationary L-shaped part and a partwhich is movably attached to the L-shaped part, (d) the horizontal legof the L-shaped part extends across the top of the head channel, and thevertical leg of the L-shaped part depends behind the head channel, (e)at the bottom of the vertical leg a shelf extends under the headchannel, and (f) the movable bracket-part includes a channel-supportingportion which moves under the rear bead of the head channel; theimprovement which comprises: (1) a lip on the stationary bracket-partwhich depends in front of the front wall of the head channel, (2) suchdepending lip, in conjunction with the horizontal leg which extendsacross the top of the head channel, provides an internal corner whichfaces downwardly-rearwardly and into which the upper front corner of thehead channel nests, (3) the height and width of the head channel provideit with a diagonal dimension which makes it impossible for the lowerrear corner of the undistorted head-channel to swing past said shelf,whereby the mounting bracket rejects the undistorted head-channel, (4)the head channel may be resiliently flexed to swing the lower rearcorner past said shelf, whereupon the channel snaps into mountedposition and is clasped and held by the stationary L-shaped part of themounting bracket, and (5) the movable bracket-part includes achannelsupporting portion which moves under the front bead of the headchannel.

5. The combination of a sheet-metal venetian-blind head-channel and abuilding-attached mounting-bracket as in claim 4 in which the movablebracket-part includes fingers adapted to swing into engagement withmeans on the horizontal leg of the L-shaped bracket-part to transmit tothe L-shaped bracket part the load imposed on the installation bracketby the head channel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,698,727 1/55Rutledge 248-264 2,920,849 1/60 Luxford 248-25 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, PrimaryExaminer. FRANK L. ABBOTT, Examiner UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEQERHHQA'M @l (JURREQTWN Patent N06 3 ,169 ,006 February 9, 1965 Hans K.Lorentzen et al.,

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patentrequiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read ascorrected below Column 4, line 73, for "chnanel-securing" readchannel-securing column 6, line 9, for "head" read bead a Signed andsealed this 13th day of July 1965.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD Jo BRENNER Attcsting Officer Commissioner ofPatents

1. AN INSTALLATION BRACKET FOR A VENETIAN BLIND HEADCHANNEL THAT HAS INTURNED BEADS EXTENDING ALONG THE UPPER EDGES OF THE FRONT AND REAR WALLS OF THE CHANNEL, SAID BRACKET COMPRISIG: A MEMBER ATTACHABLE TO A BUILDING AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND ACROSS THE TOP OF THE CHANNEL, CHANNEL-SECURING MEANS PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO SAID MEMBER, SAID PIVOTALLY-ATTACHED CHANEL-SECURING MEANS HAVING A FINGER THAT IS ADAPTED TO SWING UNDER THE HEAD THAT IS AT THE FRONT OF THE CHANNEL AND HAVING ANOTHER FINGER THAT IS ADAPTED TO SWING UNDER THE BEAD THAT IS AT THE REAR OF THE CHANNEL, AND SAID PIVOTALLY-ATTACHED CHANNELSECURING MEANS HAVING ADDITIONAL FINGERS ADAPTED TO SWING INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH MEANS ON SAID MEMBER TO TRANSMIT TO SAID MEMBER THE LOAD IMPOSED ON THE INSTALLATION BRACKET BY THE CHANNEL. 